The play Al Zombie Wa Al Khataya Al Ashra (Zombie And The Ten Sins), scheduled to be performed between 14 an 24 July, is a physical and digital theatre show, with little dialogue and minimal, symbolic scenography.

Actors Iman Hussein Ragab and Ahmed Adel Fawzy compared it to the works of German modern dance performer, ballet dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, as Tarek El Deweri's play features dance choreographies and relies on physical expression rather than spoken interaction.

The story is also told through voice-overs, recorded music as well as live musical performances, and videos are projected onto the stage throughout the show. 

The show deals with issues such as “capitalism, the system's impact on us as individuals, things we see every day on the street and things inside of us that we are too afraid to show. It's not about any specific country, it's about the state of the world as a whole,” actress Iman Hussein Ragab told Ahram Online.

Like some of El Deweri's other works, such as his adaptation of Brecht's The Life Of Galileo, Al Zombie Wa Al Khataya Al Ashra draws inspiration from various literary sources. Those include George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, written after the World War, in 1949, and intended as a warning against totalitarian regimes like those who had taken over Europe; Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, which presents a future American society where books are illegal and burned by “firemen” whenever they are found; as well as the works of poet Wadie Saada.

When asked what they believed to be the message behind the play, actor Ahmed Adel Fawzy said “we're not trying to push people in a certain direction, we just hope to open their eyes to what happens around them, what others go through. We just hope to make them think: take interest in the play, question what they see and maybe go home and try to answer their own questions, learn something new.”

The play was already performed at the Hanager Art Center in February, and will be shown again starting this Thursday 14 July, and until 24 July, as part of the 9th National Theatre Festival.

 For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture